The Pioneer's Farewell
A Snoqualmie River settler puts his homestead up for sale, citing 'weak lungs' as the reason for leaving his hard-won life behind.
The undersigned offers his place on the Snoqualmie River for sale. It contains 120 acres of bottom land, and 40 acres of timbered upland, sloping gently to the river. It is 12 miles from Snoqualmie City, at the river crossing, 9 miles from Lake Washington, and 20 from Seattle. Fifty acres are slashed, 20 acres are in grass, and 4 acres of upland have been grubbed for an orchard. There are 20 tons of hay on hand. The place has three-quarters of a mile of frontage on the river, is safe from overflow, and has a clear stream of water running through, which can be brought to the house, barn or milk house. It is valuable for lumbering, having a good deal of timber on it, and is the first key point for getting timber from the adjacent six or eight sections, with good bays for booming. The location is central and affords a good steamboat landing. A hotel and store would do well there at the present time, and it is convenient to six logging camps now in operation. A house and tools are on the place. Cause of selling is weak lungs. For further particulars, inquire of George White.
“Cause of selling, weak lungs.”
In 1878, George White was forced to walk away from his homestead due to his health, a poignant reminder of the physical toll of pioneering. Today, the Snoqualmie Valley remains a battleground between agricultural legacy and the relentless pressure of regional growth, rhyming with the era's struggle to carve a living out of the raw Washington landscape.
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